Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97
Before the saber could reach his fist, the muscles on his arm had already been stripped away!
No wonder this was the ordeal for Dimension Shatterer realm cultivators. It was truly a fearsome force to behold!
With a furious roar, Zhang Xuan drove his strength to his limits. Harmonizing his zhenqi, physical body, and soul together, the surrounding space immediately turned viscous.
The Ancient Sage Ordeal was not just a test from the heavens on a cultivator, it was also an opportunity for evolution. If one used a weapon to ward off the Ancient Sage Ordeal, the benefits that he gained from it would be significantly reduced. Not only so, it might even trigger a backlash from the Ancient Sage Ordeal, which could possibly make the situation even more life-threatening.
This was similar to how the force of a Leaving Aperture Ordeal increased exponentially the more people there were facing the cultivation ordeal.
It was for this reason that Zhang Xuan did not brandish his Dragonbone Divine Spear, opting to rely on his own strength instead.
Sila!
Without a doubt, a full force attack harnessing the limits of Zhang Xuan’s strength was indeed a force to behold. Even an average Great Philosopher realm Ancient Sage would find themself getting bogged down by the attack in a moment’s time. However, before the massive lightning saber in the sky, his strength seemed no different than a joke. The sky was torn apart in the blink of an eye, and the next moment, the flesh of Zhang Xuan’s upper body was shredded, revealing his ribcage.
Excruciating pain!
Despite his mental resilience, the pressure and pain that he was in had exceeded his limits. He felt his own consciousness blurring, on the verge of extinguishing as though a candlelight in the midst of a storm.
Hu!
His clothes were burned to cinders, revealing a shriveled skeletal frame.
The Ordeal of Lightning Armament was simply too terrifying. It had surpassed the limits of what he could withstand in his current realm.
Not even a single breath had passed from the moment that the saber began descending till his flesh and blood were dissipated… and the saber had not even reached him yet. All of the damage that Zhang Xuan had sustained came solely from the saber’s overwhelming aura and the shockwave coming from the momentum of its movement.
If the saber really fell on him, he would surely be killed in a heartbeat.
It seems like I have really screwed up…
This was the thought that had surfaced in Zhang Xuan’s mind in that moment.
He had thought that he could make use of the opportunity to push for a breakthrough in his physical body and zhenqi cultivation. However, it seemed like he had overestimated his own capabilities, such that the situation had gone out of his control.
But I won’t be going down that easily either!
Knowing that he would die without a shred of doubt if he continued holding back, he closed his eyes and willed. The next instant, a body identical to his suddenly appeared right in front of him, and it charged straight up toward the saber.
Clone!
“To think that you still have the cheek to claim that you are the main body when you can’t even deal with a measly cultivation ordeal. Don’t you feel embarrassed? Watch as I shatter this saber with a single punch!” the clone roared proudly as he faced the massive saber.
Using this brief moment of respite, Zhang Xuan hurriedly took out Ancient Sage blood of Blood Reincarnation realm cultivators and gulped it down so as to replenish his zhenqi and nourish his body.
All that was left of the current him was a bag of bones contained within a sack of skin. If not for the overwhelming vitality that he had accumulated from drinking Ancient Sage blood from Blood Reincarnation realm cultivators and the miraculous regenerative capability of the Heaven’s Path zhenqi, he would have already died.
Under the nourishment of the blood essence, his flesh and bones slowly began to grow back. From the looks of it, it would take several years before he could recover back to his former state. Nevertheless, it was already a huge blessing that he was still alive after facing that terrifying saber, so this was nothing for him to complain about.
Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze toward his clone in the sky.
It was little surprise that his clone did not stand a chance against the saber either. However, due to his body being made out of the Nine Hearts Lotus, the clone was able to swiftly reform himself even after he was sliced into two, putting the Ordeal of Lightning Armament at a loss as to how it should deal with him for a moment.
“This is his clone?”
“How did he get such a powerful clone? Will he really be able to survive like this?”
Upon seeing the clone for the very first time, the crowd around widened their eyes in shock.
This was especially so for Ancient Sage Mo Ling. His entire body was trembling in agitation.
Indestructible, that was exactly the kind of body that all soul oracles wanted to lay their hands on! If they could obtain such a body, they would really be able to live for an eternity without fearing anything at all!
“No, it seems like his clone is still too weak after all. He won’t be able to block the saber for much longer…”
The massive saber did slow down a little with the interference of Zhang Xuan’s clone, but it was still trudging forward in its trajectory. It was just a short moment away from crushing Zhang Xuan’s soul into bits.
In that desperate moment, Zhang Xuan swiftly whipped out the Stone of Divine Crusade once more and flicked it toward his clone.
Tzzzzzzzzz!
The clone swiftly grabbed the Stone of Divine Crusade and began absorbing the rich energy harnessed within.
Zhang Xuan had only used up half of the soul energy in the Stone of Divine Crusade earlier, so there was still another good half left in there for his clone’s use.
Devouring the massive amount of soul energy, the clone’s cultivation surged by leaps and bounds, granting him greater strength to fend off the descending saber. It almost looked as if the tables were turning in Zhang Xuan’s favor as the saber slowed down even more, and it seemed like it was about to come to a halt.
Kacha! Kacha!
At the same time, the clone’s soul cultivation shot right up to Sempiternal realm consummation, and it was still marching with imposing momentum toward a breakthrough to Ancient Sage.
The Canvas of Four Seasons opened once more, and the Aeon of Ancient Sage swiftly gushed into his body.
Boom!
In just a few moments, the clone had already shattered the bottleneck limiting him, opening up a new world.
He was able to achieve a much easier breakthrough than Zhang Xuan because he was able to access Zhang Xuan’s mind and tap into his experiences, which allowed him to advance his cultivation much more smoothly.
Boom!
As soon as the clone achieved a breakthrough, huge swathes of dark clouds began gathering around the area once more. A fresh influx of lightning bolts and heavenly flames surged into saber, which had barely come to a halt just a moment ago, filling it with more energy.
“…”
Zhang Xuan’s eyebrows leaped up in horror.
It was a spontaneous decision on his part to toss the Stone of Divine Crusade to the clone, hoping that the latter would gain sufficient strength to halt the Ordeal of Lightning Armament. He did not think that the other party would achieve a breakthrough and bring in another cultivation ordeal.
Considering that he and his clone essentially shared a soul, this could be considered as his fourth Ancient Sage Ordeal.
Absorbing the fresh influx of lightning bolts and heavenly flames, the already massive saber doubled in size. Its dark blade emanated such a terrifying pressure that it tore open glaring scars one after another in the sky. The aura that it emanated was so powerful that not even the Dragonbone Divine Spear would dare stand against it.
The feeling that death was encroaching on him felt more vivid than ever to Zhang Xuan at that moment, causing his hair to stand on end.
“If we allow it to descend, we’ll surely die without the slightest doubt!”
Knowing the might of the saber, Zhang Xuan quickly racked his brain for a solution.
The might harnessed within the saber was simply too appalling. If they failed to stop it, they would be disintegrated into nothingness.
Tzzzzz!
Carrying the might to dissipate everything in the world, the saber sliced down on the clone and decisively split him in two.
Even if his clone had reached Ancient Sage, there was no way that he could stand against such a calamity of nature!
Boom!
Nevertheless, the clone swiftly gathered himself together again and again as he desperately pushed against the saber. Despite the immense difference in strength, the clone’s tenacity still paid off. The descent of the saber began slowing a little.
Nevertheless, the situation still was not looking good for them.
Knowing that he would really meet his end here at this rate, Zhang Xuan anxiously turned to Sovereign Chen Yong and instructed, “Quick, help me look around and find someone who is on the verge of a breakthrough. It has to be someone who can summon a lightning tribulation!”
“You want to find someone who can achieve a breakthrough right now and summon a lightning tribulation?” Sovereign Chen Yong was stunned, but he knew that his young master had his reasons for doing so. Thus, he quickly turned to issue an instruction to Liu Yang.
“Yes, Your Majesty!” Liu Yang nodded in response.
He shot a sweeping glance at his surroundings before swiftly grabbing a Saint 9-dan cultivator in the vicinity and infusing a surge of his zhenqi into the latter.
As soon as the surge of zhenqi spread across the Saint 9-dan cultivator’s body, the bottleneck that had been limiting him immediately shattered, and dark clouds began gathering once more.
“Great!” Seeing the familiar black mass, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He immediately sent a telepathic message over. “Little Tribulation, is that you?”
Boom!
Hearing those words, the dark clouds staggered. For a moment, it seemed as if the dark clouds were going to run away, but they eventually shook themself and reluctantly drifted over to Zhang Xuan’s side.
It was clear that the Ordeal of Lightning Armament was not the same Little Tribulation whom Zhang Xuan usually hung out with. Nevertheless, as fellow cultivation ordeals, he thought that there might be some kind of camaraderie among them such that Little Tribulation could help speak up on his behalf.
“I have a cultivation technique here that can enhance your abilities, and I’ll impart it to you right now. However, I need you to block that saber over there for me,” Zhang Xuan said.
Following which, he activated the Impartation of Heaven’s Will and began a lecture.
He had already seen through the flaws of Little Tribulation a long time ago, and he had thought about how he could offer the latter pointers too. Thus, all he had to do was regurgitate the knowledge that was in his mind.
“This… Is he teaching the lightning tribulation?”
“Are you telling me that the lightning tribulation is his pet?”
Everyone was stunned.
